Friday, August 13, 2010

Pink's, Gustavo Dudamel, The Hollywood Bowl & The Dude Dog - Video #3

The 99 Cent Chef may have bitten off more than he can chew this time! How do you make a video that combines dynamic Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, a "Dude" hot dog (created by Pink's for our new Philharmonic conductor), and Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue?" Only one chef would have the cojones to do it -- I'll let you decide if I've succeeded.

I've been looking forward to seeing Gustavo Dudamel since he became music director of the L.A. Philharmonic in 2009. The young conductor from "The System" in Venezuela (which teaches young kids the joys and hard work of symphonic music) has charisma and is camera ready for seen-it-all L.A. audiences. With his curly locks flying and his baton teasing, punching and slashing, he delivered a great night of Gershwin (and Leonard Bernstein) at the Hollywood Bowl on the third of this month.

Pink's, L.A.'s most popular hot dog stand (the place can't put up all its celebrity headshots), was started in 1939 with just a pushcart, and has the longest lines of any diner, and deservedly so. It has been filmed and reviewed by every media outlet in L.A. so I won't repeat it all here. However, I did notice one special hot dog that has not been covered, and that is the"Dude."

Created by manager Gloria Pink's husband Richard for Gustavo Dudamel, this is the most whimsical hot dog in L.A. With tortilla chips propped up on a 10-inch stretch dog, you would not be mistaken in thinking you are looking at a sailboat. That's what Richard Pink had in mind -- Gustavo Dudamel carried from Venezuela to Los Angeles on a Pink's hot dog schooner at full mast!

The Dude is made with Latin flavors. A grilled fajita mix of onions and bell peppers and a creamy guacamole sauce, topped with jalapenos and tortilla chips. You also get American and Swiss cheese under a steamed 10-inch stretch dog. At $7.25, it's the equivalent of two hot dogs in one bun.

Like the wailing clarinet glissando that opens Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," swirling a tortilla chip in cool guacamole and spicy jalapeno slices makes your head and taste buds swim - not many hots dogs double as a bowl of guacamole dip! The guacamole is not the fresh hand-mashed type (there's a slight vinegar under-taste), but it is welcome when you are cymbal-hit with a spicy jalapeno slice. Try to resist eating off all the guac; the zenith is taking a big bite of this heady medley and letting all of the kaleidoscopic flavors hit you together.

The grilled onions are cello-smooth, and the red and green bell peppers violin-sweet. The "stretch hot dog" is steamed just right, and when bitten, has the harp-string "snap" that all hot dog devotees pray for. Between bun and wiener are slices of American and Swiss cheese, adding a melting creamy crescendo.

To enjoy my special video concerto, you can leave your suit, tie and jewelry behind --just pull up a chair, turn up the volume, and allow The 99 Cent Virtuoso to conduct the next few delectable minutes.

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I take the
haute out of cuisine, developing tasty recipes that anyone can afford to
make. I use food ingredients that cost around 99 cents each, or 99
cents per pound, for my recipes. I create yummy photos, fun GIFS, and
clever videos with a food theme.